Winter ingredients make a savory shepherd's pie

12:10 AM,
Dec. 11, 2012

A perfect winter plate, shepherd's pie, is Elaine Hesser's dish of the week.

Written by

Elaine Hesser
For The Salinas Californian

Traditionally, shepherd's pie is a lamb and vegetable casserole topped with mashed potatoes. I wanted to use seasonal ingredients like parsnips and cabbage, as well as some beautiful fall apples to make a similar dish. I chose savoy cabbage because the leaves are thinner and milder than its green cousin. I left the peel on the apples because it adds great color and texture to the dish. "Off-dry" in the recipe is wine-speak for "just a little sweet, but nowhere near Moscato."

I used a food mill to puree the parsnips. I resisted the urge to buy one for years, despite the siren songs of celebrity ...